Broken Links: Psychosocial support for people separated from family members. Field Guide

This field guide presents psychosocial support resources for those working in the field, and has been developed particularly for staff and volunteers with no specialised training in RFL or in accompanying relatives of missing persons. The guide sets forth the types of contact staff and volunteers might have with families affected by separation, and gives resources for providing psychosocial support at each point of contact.

It also provides guidance to staff and volunteers about self-care. This is especially impor tant for people working in the field, who may be susceptible to stress when supporting oth ers. Listening to others’ stories of loss, pain and grief may trigger an individual’s memory of personal loss or pain, as well as elicit a fear of death or separation. This in turn may increase stress levels, making it difficult for the staff or volunteer to approach families and deal with the demands of the job.

The materials provided here will need to be adapted to suit local contexts. The aim of this field guide is to build both confidence and skills in responding to disaster and crisis situ ations, and to raise awareness of the broader goals of the Movement’s work in supporting families separated from their loved ones.